What do learning how to fly, cooking soul food and giving museum tours have in common?

At first glance, very little.

But teenagers throughout Miami-Dade public high schools are mining off-beat ways to earn the necessary community service hours for graduation. What could have been a chore has turned into something else for innovative teens -- a time to learn new skills, meet new people and make a difference in a diverse community with many needs.

Miami-Dade public schools require that teens either earn 75 hours within four years, or complete a meaningful community service project, said Charles Murray, a district supervisor.

Service work takes many shapes.

Young people with a love of aviation can learn to fly with the Civil Air Patrol throughout Miami-Dade. Those with a love of the arts can give tours at the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami.

And those who simply love to eat, but want to keep their families healthy, can learn to cook modern versions of traditional soul food dishes at Booker T. Washington High in Miami.

''They come to me for hours and I get them hooked. Then, I can't get rid of them,'' said Tony Jennings, a history teacher who directs the Overtown Cookbook program, where students learn to cut the fat and calories out of soul food recipes like fried catfish.

The program's goal: finish compiling at least 50 recipes by the spring and publish the cookbook with an online publishing tool.

It's not just about the recipes. Senior Eddie Thomas said the program has taught teens about diet and exercise.

''We tell people it's important to exercise and watch how much they eat,'' said Eddie, 17.

Jennings also sponsors the school's chapter of the Miami Youth Council, a citywide initiative founded by Miami Mayor Manny Diaz in 2005. Each of the city's five high schools has a teen council that proposes a solution to a community problem, which they present to the city commission.

In Overtown, students have identified broken lights -- and worked with city crews to replace them so they could walk home safely from school at night.

In Little Haiti, Rokeshia Ashley and her classmates at Edison High School have narrowed their project to two options: starting a leadership class for troubled youth or organizing a college tour for underprivileged students.

''It's just a passion of mine to help out,'' said Ashley, 17, a senior who joined the council last year.

High school students can create their own service projects with the help of Hands on Miami, a nonprofit that promotes community involvement for teens and young professionals.

The organization helps teens make their proposals a reality and also offers volunteer opportunities -- such as cleaning up beaches and feeding the homeless -- by signing up at www.handsonmiami.org.

The southern part of Miami-Dade also offers many off-beat opportunities.

At the Tamiami Composite Squadron in West Kendall, Steven Pique, 14, and his friends learn how to fly and get a taste ofmilitary life.

''I love flying,'' said Pique, 14, a freshman at Felix Varela High School in West Kendall.

The squadron belongs to the Civil Air Patrol, a nationwide auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. Other squadrons are located in Miami Springs, Homestead, South Miami and Cutler Bay.

Cadets, whose ages range from 13 to 20, help distribute hurricane supplies after a storm hits. They also help out during air shows, controlling crowds and even helping direct planes as they land. When cadets turn 16, they are eligible for flying lessons.

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